Putting game



July 16, 1963 E. M. RICE 3,097,849

PUTTING GAME Filed July 15, 1960 IN TOR.

EVERETT M. RI

BY W1 arw/ M his ATTORNEYS.

3,097,849 PUTTING GAME Everett M. Rice, R.F.D. 1, Rexford, N.Y.

Filed July 15, 1960, Ser. No. 43,138 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-180) This invention relates to a game and, more particularly, to-an apparatus for playing a game that simulates golf putting conditions.

It is a purpose of this invention to provide an apparatus for playing a game which will enable the participants to enjoy a leisurely pastime and, if the participants are golf enthusiasts, improve their putting ability.

This purpose is attained by providing an apparatus for playing a putting game comprising a member having a flat portion and inclined edges so that a ball can be made to roll onto the flat portion when the member is placed on a substantially flat surface, a plurality of recesses formed in the flat portion, the recesses being divided into four groups and the recesses within each group having a distinct designation, and a second plurality of recesses formed in the fiat portion which have special designations.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the four groups correspond to the four suits in a deck of playing cards, and the distinct designations correspond to the markings on the cards within each suit. The specially designated recesses correspond to wild cards, special ante cards, etc.

This invention may be more completely understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an apparatus for playing a putting game constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

The putting game apparatus includes a flat square member or board that has its surface divided into four triangular areas 11, 12, 13 and 14 by two intersecting marks 15 and 16 which cross the board diagonally. Within each of the four areas 11-14 are fifteen recesses 17 arranged in a triangular pattern, and one recess 18 is formed at the intersection of the two marks 15 and 16. It is preferred that the diameter of these recesses be made slightly smaller than the diameter of a regulation golf ball.

The four triangular areas are marked to correspond to the four suits in a deck of playing cards. The area -11 is the spade suit, the area 12 is the heart suit, the area 13 is the club suit, and the area 14 is the diamond suit. The surface of the board is marked adjacent to thirteen of the recesses in each area to designate these recesses as corresponding to the thirteen playing cards in each suit,

and the remaining two of the fit'teen recesses in each area are specially designated by two dots or dittos to correspond to double ante cards. The recess 18 at the center of the board is also specially designated to correspond to a wild card.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the manner in which the board 10 is mounted 'on a baseboard 20 within a four sided frame 21 to prevent warping. A plurality of screws 22 fasten the members 10, 20, and 21 together. The frame 21 is flat beveled so that balls can be made to roll up onto the upper surface of the board 10.

The game, in a preferred manner of playing it, may be entered into by any number of players. The apparatus is placed on a substantially flat surface such as the ground, a floor, etc. and each player in turn putts golf balls from the surface upon onto the board 10. The balls are putted until five of them lodge in the recesses 17 and 18, the ob- 3,097,849. Patented July 16, 1963 ice ject being to obtain the best poker hand possible. If a ball falls into the recess 18 that corresponds to a wild card, the player may apply it in any manner desired, while if a ball falls into one of the double ante recesses, the player removes the ball after receiving a penalty and putts it again.

The players may provide a scoring system to measure or compare their putting ability. In one such system a player receives one mark before he putt-s each ball and two additional marks if a ball goes into a double ante recess. At the end of each round the player that makes the best poker hand receives the total of all of the marks scored by the other players to his credit as a reward.

It should be apparent that the game and the structure may be varied somewhat. A different scoring system can be devised by the participants or the pattern of the marks on the board can be changed.

Since five golf balls may not always be available markers or dummies may be provided to replace a golf ball in a recess, so that one golf ball can be putted repeatedly. These markers or dummies may be made of wood, plastic, etc. and have a shape similar to a golf ball or be hemispherical, etc. While all of the members in the game apparatus have been described as being boards, it is apparent that other materials such as metal or plastic are also suitable.

While a representative embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described for purposes of illustration, it is apparent that the embodiment is susceptible of change and modification Without departing from this invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the invention described herein is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiment described but is intended to encompass all modifications thereof coming within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for playing a putting game compris ing a gameboard having a flat, square member mounted on a baseboard within a four-sided frame to provide a golf putting area, said square member extending into and having its edges overlapping adjacent portions of said frame, the frame having four flat beveled edges of equal width so inclined that a golf ball can be made to roll smoothly onto the surface of the board without bouncing when the apparatus is placed on a substantially flat surface, two diagonal marks on the square member which divide the member into four substantially equal triangular areas, an equal number of recesses formed in each of the triangular areas and one recess formed in the center of the square member substantially at the intersection of the two diagonal marks, and a distinctive marking on each recess in each of the triangular areas.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the distinctive marking on each recess of each triangular area represents the cards in one suit of a deck of playing cards and the center recess represents a wild card.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 in which there are 15 recesses formed in each of the triangular areas, 13 of the recesses in each area being marked to represent the 13 cards in a suit of a deck of playing cards, the remaining two recesses in each area being marked to represent special cards, and the center recess being marked to represent a wild card.

4. An apparatus for playing a putting game comprising a gameboard having a flat, square member mounted on a baseboard within and having its edges extending into and in overlapping relation to adjacent portions of a foursided frame to provide a golf putting area, the frame having four flat beveled edges of equal width so inclined that a golf ball can be made to roll smoothly onto the surface of the board without bouncing when the apparatus is placed on a substantially flat surface, two diagonal marks on the square member which divide the member into four substantially equaltriangul'ar areas, 15 recesses formed in each of the triangular areas and one recess formed in the center of the square member substantially at the intersection of the two diagonal marks, 13 of the recesses in each area being marked to represent the 13 cards in a suit of a deck of playing cards with the remaining two recesses in each area representing double ante cards and the center recess being marked to represent a wild card, each of the recesses being slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of a golf ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gephart Sept. 14, 1897 Clifford May 27, 1913 Brooks Mar. 23, 1926 Kurtz Oct. 9, 1928 Smith May 25, 1937 Johnson Oct. 22, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 5, 1947 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR PLAYING A PUTTING GAME COMPRISING A GAMEBOARD HAVING A FLAT, SQUARE MEMBER MOUNTED ON A BASEBOARD WITHIN A FOUR-SIDED FRAME TO PROVIDE A GOLF PUTTING AREA, SAID SQUARE MEMBER EXTENDING INTO AND HAVING ITS EDGES OVERLAPPING ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID FRAME, THE FRAME HAVING FOUR FLAT BEVELED EDGES OF EQUAL WIDTH SO INCLINED THAT A GOLF BALL CAN BE MADE TO ROLL SMOOTHLY ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE BOARD WITHOUT BOUNCING WHEN THE APPARATUS IS PLACED ON A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT SURFACE, TWO DIAGONAL MARKS ON THE SQUARE MEMBER WHICH DIVIDE THE MEMBER INTO FOUR SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TRIANGULAR AREAS, AN EQUAL NUMBER OF RECESSES FORMED IN EACH OF THE TRIANGULAR AREAS AND ONE RECESS FORMED IN THE CENTER OF THE SQUARE MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE TWO DIAGONAL MARKS, AND A DSTINCTIVE MARKING ON EACH RECESS IN EACH OF THE TRIANGULAR AREAS. 